The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday sentenced three women to five years imprisonment each for luring a lady to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for prostitution.
Justice Babs Kuewumi found Precious Owoh (32), Blessing Gabriel (28) and Rose Gabriel (28) guilty of trafficking in person.
He, however, gave them an option of paying N1million fine.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) had docked the trio for luring 27-year-old Ann Udeogu to Dubai for prostitution.
They committed the offence with Otubo Nicole, who is said to be at large, between October 2014 and July 2015.
The prosecution called four witnesses – Miss Udeogu and three NAPTIP intelligence officers.
Udeogu said Owoh paid for her trip to Dubai after the convicts made her to believe that they had a job for her there.
The victim said she was subjected to inhuman treatment for failure to do her captors’ biddings.
Udeogu said she contacted her sister in Nigeria, who facilitated her return by sending her a flight ticket.
Justice Kuewumi held that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubts.
Defence counsel, Oke Ojakove, urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the convicts were first time offenders and impose a reformatory sentence or a fine.
Justice Kuewumi said: “The offence of trafficking in persons is a very serious one. It affects the image of the country.
“The first and second convicts are hereby sentenced to two years on count one and five years on counts two, three and four. The third convict is hereby sentenced to two and five years on counts one and two.”
The judge gave them an option of N250, 000 fine on count one and N1 million for counts two, three and four.
“The sentence will run concurrently,” the judge added.